Combustion of niobium in hydrogen and nitrogen. Synthesis of niobium hydrides and hydridonitrides

This paper treats the combustion processes observed in the Nb–N–H system, and its application to the synthesis of niobium hydridonitrides. In particular the Self-Propagating high-temperature synthesis (SHS) process in Nb–H and Nb–N systems was studied. The combustion products were hydrides and nitrides, respectively. The determination of the main features of combustion process by obtaining binary compounds enabled to examine a ternary system including both N2 and H2 simultaneously. It was found that niobium combustion in the mixture of two reacting gases proceeded in three competetive ways, established earlier for IVA group metals. Various types of reaction occur depending on the partial pressure ratio.